*This page may contain affiliate links which may allow us to collect a commission when you click and make a purchase through the links on our site. There is no additional cost to you for doing so.*

Title: Fairy Tale Tarot
Art by: Lisa Hunt
Author: Lisa Hunt
Publisher: U.S. Games Systems Inc
Number of cards: 78
Card size: 5 x 3.5 in
Box size: 6.5 x 4 x 1.5 in approx
Guidebook pages: 156
Purchased or gifted?: Purchased
Absolute favorite card: Happily Ever After
Other favorites: (in order from most beloved) Four of cups, redemption, three of swords, two of wands, princess of pentacles, the lovers, deception, temptation, the wheel
Notable detail: nothing of note
Season: winter
Sabbat: Ostara
Sign: Pisces
Element: Air
Oracle Deck compliment: Kate Forsyth’s Fairytale Oracle
Collective Pull: Ace of swords

*with oracle companion - Kate Forsyth’s Fairytale Oracle*

First Impressions

I’m a fan of Lisa Hunt. Ghosts and Spirits tarot is still one of my favorite tarot decks of all time. In truth, I’m not really a fan of Lisa’s art but rather her words. She is one of the rare few who I believe can actually pull off illustrating and writing a really solid deck. So many times, I have found artists are really good at art but the guidebook lacks the depth required for a moving and transformative experience. Lisa’s work is well thought out and backed by an incredible amount of research which really comes through her words. I always walk away from her decks having learned something or been introduced to a completely new way to see a card.

I wasn’t aware this deck had come out until I was looking for a tarot companion for Kate Forsyth’s Fairytale Oracle. I stumbled upon this and bought it immediately because I knew it would be a great project. I resonated with it right away, especially after seeing a depiction of a fairytale that is also featured in my first tarot—Seasons of the Witch: Winter Tarot. It felt like Lisa and I were on the same page. So first impressions are: I expect to be impressed.

Click here to read my review of Kate Forsyth’s Fairytale Oracle

The Packaging

The packaging is ok. I’m glad US Games got rid of those cheap paper boxes but I don’t feel like they’ve found their stride just yet. This slim two piece box seems to be the standard and its just ok. There’s nothing special about it but nothing wrong with it either. Just don’t expect any bells and whistles. So no foil, no colored sides, guidebook is black and white and doesn’t feature images. It's just the bare minimum.

That’s why I said US Games haven't gotten their stride yet because I have definitely gotten some nice packaging from them. I have some decks that really made me say “wow” but this isn’t one of them.

The Guidebook

US Games Systems also stepped up the guidebook from those little white paper booklets. It's still a little white paper booklet but it has an actual cover now and is much bigger. It isn’t full color but it does have a really nice intro and two spreads. It also has a couple of pages on using one card reflections and some examples of what this might look like.

Each card has a list of keywords, the fairy tale the card is based on, its country of origin and then the meaning which includes a brief explanation of the fairytale and how it relates to the tarot card. I love some of the card renames like temptation for the Devil and deception for The Tower. There are so many cards that perhaps do not convey the true meaning of the card as much as another word might and while the Devil is a good name in theory, it brings to mind religious dogma instead of its actual meaning which is temptation.

I will say, I don’t love the entries as much as I loved Ghosts and Spirits Tarot. They aren’t bad by any means but I haven’t found them to be as deeply thought provoking.

Click here to read my review of Ghosts and Spirits Tarot.

The Artwork

Lisa’s art tends to be very blue. I absolutely loved it in Ghosts and Spirits tarot. I thought it captured the essence of a ghost quite well. I don’t love it as much here but I still found many cards which I quite enjoyed. My favorite is Happily Ever After, traditionally known as the World. I actually thought it was the tower when I first looked at it. It features this huge castle extending into the sky with darker clouds all around it. But it clearly has a brighter tone and is one of the few cards in the deck that doesn’t have an overwhelming sense of blue. The same with four of cups and redemption.

“We travel vicariously through the protagonist as they must face unseen monsters and learn how to triumph over illusory forces.”

The artwork in general is very soft, maybe even pastel. What I have loved about Lisa’s art is how detailed it is. There are always a lot of layers and intricate designs to pick apart. And you can see them clearly, even though the cards are small. Details tend to get lost when turning them into tarot or oracle cards but she seems to have a way of knowing exactly how to make an image so that it retains all of that layered goodness.

Own a copy of Fairy Tale Tarot

Reading With this Deck

I still found my readings with this deck to be incredibly deep which isn’t really a surprise. What I appreciate so much about Lisa’s work are her interpretations and how accurate her cards are. I’ve never used her cards and felt like the reading wasn’t on point. This is no exception.

I have found each draw as accurately depicted where I am for any given day. Normally, I use the deck several times and then right before I write a review. I used this deck today and the cards I pulled couldn’t have been more timely. I was concerned about a recent decision and highly doubting my choice. The cards I drew were so empowering that I almost wanted to cry.

I didn’t realize how much I needed to see those messages and how incredibly validating the reading would be.

Collective Pull

I drew Ace of swords for you. The ace of swords represents a breakthrough, ah-ha moment or sudden realization. It appears when problems find solutions or the path forward becomes abundantly clear. Your soul may also draw this card after a period of confusion or mental clutter. Perhaps you’ve struggled to understand the truth of your situation and now, you’re being offered a much deeper understanding of where you stand.

Like all aces, this card represents a new beginning. You may receive a spark of an idea, especially when it comes to communications. Perhaps you feel inspired to take up public speaking or to share a gift for words. Or you may simply be embracing the more logical side of your brain, leaning into intellectual thinking and reasoning. However, this is the most challenge of the ace cards as we know there will be challenges ahead.

Season, Sign, Element and Sabbat

The blue, to me at least, screams winter. Though there are a fair amount of warmer cards as well so I’d say late winter to early spring. Overall, this deck is on the cooler, dustier side which for me, puts it almost entirely in the winter season. I do think Ostara is a better choice for the sabbat. I’m not sure why but fairy tales feel like an Ostara kind of thing. Perhaps its the new beginnings element since fairy tales pretty much always represent a transformation of some kind.

The season is Pisces for sure. You can’t talk about fairy tales and not talk about Pisces: the dreamer, the poet, the artist. Fairy tales are Pisces’ domain as they love their fantasies and daydreams.

Finally, I went with air for the element. The colors remind me of air but in addition to that, you almost always see something blowing in the wind or translucent figures. Air to me has a mystical, fairy-like feel and I see that in Lisa’s art too.

Who is this deck for?

If you’re a fan of Lisa’s deck then you’ll like this one but I’m not sure you’ll love it. I don’t think it’s going to be one of my favorites but a nice one to have around. I think it might be ideal for children as they get older, especially if they enjoy fairytales. It might make a nice intro tarot deck that allows them to draw connections with things they’re already familiar with.

Oracle Deck Companion

I had already assigned this tarot to Fairytale Oracle a couple of months ago and still see them as a great pair.

Purchase Fairytale Oracle

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you found this review to be helpful, informative or entertaining in any way, please be sure to leave a comment down below. It really helps me know what you’re enjoying so that I can provide more content based on what you love. In the meantime, please enjoy a variety of photos from this deck.

And of course, if there is something you’d like me to consider reviewing, please comment below or email me at hello@spiritelement.co